


The Great Decoration Feud of 2014

by mandysimo13



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, College AU, Crack, Frat Boy Stiles Stilinski, M/M, Wreaths, academic frat stiles, frat feud, house decor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-23
Updated: 2014-11-30
Packaged: 2018-02-26 19:17:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2663294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mandysimo13/pseuds/mandysimo13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek works at Home Depot and is very confused as to why Stiles would need to purchase so many Christmas wreaths.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was a prompt from a blog called DailyAU on tumblr. 
> 
> ~You keep coming into the store I work at to buy wreaths, what are you doing with all these wreaths?~

_~Stiles~_

“Hey Stiles! Got some time free?”

Stiles peeked out over his book at the sound of Scott’s voice calling at him from the kitchen. “I might have minute, what do you need?”

Scott wandered into the living room and tossed the house card at him and said, “You’re picking up the house wreath this year.”

Stiles rolled his eyes and stuck the card in his pocket before marking his space and putting his book aside. “Can’t you go? I was comfortable.”

“No can do, bro. Got me a date with Allison and we need someone to go get it and only you, me and Boyd can use the card.”

“Where’s Boyd?”

“At Erica’s.”

“Ugh, fine. I’ll go. But I’m getting the cheapest shit they got.”

“Whatever, Scrooge.” Scott pulled his coat on and waved at Stiles before striding through the door, “See you later, dude!”

Stiles sniffed and went to grab his keys. “Hmph, bah humbug.”

_~Derek~_

Derek thought nothing of selling a classmate a holiday wreath.

But selling multiple wreaths to the same person in a week was a little weird.

I mean, Stiles was kind of a weird kid. But good weird. Stiles was like some corner of the internet that had escaped cyberspace and ran around saying and doing all kinds of things that made you laugh all the while looking like someone you’d want to snuggle up with on the couch and kiss until they couldn’t make you laugh anymore. But obviously you wouldn’t care about not laughing because you’d have a cute boy’s lips against yours.

Okay, so maybe Derek was a little weird for having a crush on his weird classmate, who he was sure was in a completely different department than he was, but that didn’t mean that what was going on wasn’t just as weird.

The first wreath that Derek sold to Stiles was a plain wreath that was meant to be hand decorated. The wreath was your standard fake pine wrapped around a metal frame that came from the small DIY home decor section, a section Home Depot had recently added, and a box of “no damage” decor hooks . Even had Martha Stewart’s logo slapped all over the tag. Derek just shrugged and took Stiles’ money and sent him on his way.

_~Stiles~_

The minute Stiles got home he spent two minutes applying the house’s new wreath to the door and then, satisfied with a job half-assly done, he went happily back to his book.

When he got up the next morning he went through his normal routine of scrolling Tumblr, Imgur, and Facebook for about two hours while lounging in bed, brushing his teeth and eating breakfast. He walked out his door with exactly twenty minutes to spare before having to be in his seat in him criminology class when he spied something on the door of the frat across from him.

“Those sons o’bitches,” Stiles whispered to himself. He pulled out his phone and hastily texted Scott while he walked to class.

_Omega house put up a wreath. - NoRomoBro_

_So? It’s Christmastime. - SM_

_SO?! It’s fancier than ours! We have to outdo them. - NoRomoBro_

_You’re just sore that they beat us in the Halloween house contest. - SM_

_I’m buying another wreath. - NoRomoBro_

_Get something pretty. - SM_


	2. Chapter 2

_~Derek~_

The second time Stiles came into the store he had come to the counter with two simply decorated wreaths, again the fake pine but frosted with fake frost, tucked under his arm. Derek twitched an eyebrow in confusion as he scanned the wreaths.

“Something happen to the first one,” Derek asked.

Stiles just scratched the back of his head and grinned. “Sort of. I needed replacements.”

“I see.” He didn’t. But Derek knew better than to ask questions, sometimes you really didn’t want to hear the answer. He just handed the wreaths back and watched Stiles, his cute butt and all, walk out the door.

_~Stiles~_

Stiles had just added the two new wreaths to the front siding of the house when, from the window, he spotted Jackson supervising one of his frat underlings in hanging wreaths on the Omega house. They were the same ones Stiles had just bought but he bought three of them and had spaced them across the siding, just as Stiles had done. Jackson noticed his staring and called across the street, “You mad, bro?”

“Oh, it is so on, Whittemore!”

_~Derek~_

The third time Stiles came waltzing up to the counter he carried three elaborately decorated wreaths that were wrapped with red and white ribbon and a few pine cones and a single bell at the bottom of the hoop. He also had with him a basket full of boxes of outdoor Christmas lights. _Okay, clearly there’s a story here,_ Derek thought to himself as he scanned. But he was a chicken and wasn’t sure if he could articulate anything more complicated than a literal representation of keysmashing. He just conversed the simple pleasantries required, said he’d see him in their next class, processed Stiles’ transaction and sent him off.

_~Stiles~_

“Okay guys,” Stiles directed, walking carefully across the awning of the front porch, “Hold the strings and I’ll staple them to the roof.”

Scott stood on a ladder on one end of the house and Boyd stood on one at the other end. They gave each other a long suffering stare and mutually sighed.

“How is it that every time,” Scott started as he passed up the first length of lights, “You start a feud with Omega house you involve us?”

“Come on, Scott,” Stiles replied, staple gun whirring, “Where’s your sense of house pride? Besides, you love it.”

It took the better part of the afternoon but they managed to cover the edges of the house with garish, multicolored lights. They turned them on just in time to notice Jackson and Danny carrying boxes of something out onto the lawn.

They stood and watched as they carefully set up a whole Christmas theme with lawn gnomes.

“Who even has Christmas themed lawn gnomes,” Stiles complained to Scott.

Boyd startled both of them out of their confused staring when he spoke. “You know, my mom has a giant inflatable santa that she’s not using this year.”

Stiles dove across the lawn to clutch at Boyd’s shirt. “Call her up, man! No time to waste!”


	3. Chapter 3

_~Derek~_

The last time was absolutely ridiculous.

“Okay, hold on a minute,” Derek said as he saw Stiles approach, shuffling in a half carry/half dragging lurch, with two of the biggest, move lavishly decorated wreaths the store sold. These guys were monsters. Five feet wide and made of real pine, frosted with fake frost, covered in ribbons, bells, pine cones and a string of lights woven through the branches. _What the actual fuck?_

“How many doors do you actually have?”

Stiles looked at him like a confused puppy. “Huh?”

“You’ve bought six wreaths, including these, in the last week, Stiles. What use could you possibly have for so many wreaths?”

“Well, you see,” Stiles started as he leaned the wreaths against the counter for Derek to check out. “We have kind of a feud going with the frat across from mine. We wanted to put up a wreath for christmas but when we saw that they put up something nicer than ours we decided to try to one up them.” He gestured to the ones he was currently purchasing, “I guess it’s gotten a little out of hand.”

“A little?”

“Maybe a lot.” He fixed Derek with the cheekiest grin he had ever seen and added, “But these are the last two of these so I think we win.”

Derek laughed aloud, covering his mouth to lessen the volume. “Are you kidding me?”

“Dead serious.”

Derek just shook his head as he came around the counter to scan the tags on the wreaths. “How are you guys even paying for these? I know how expensive these monstrosities are.” _And if you asked him eighty dollars was too much to spend on almost anything_. “We have economics together and this does not sound like a solid investment.”

“Dude, we get money from the university. Grant money. We’re an academic frat. Alpha Beta Zeta” Derek could feel eyes on him as he bent over to scan the tags. “We get sort of an allowance based on our collective GPA.”

Derek scoffed and rounded the counter to finish Stiles’ transaction. “Tuition money well spent, ladies and gentlemen.”

“Very well spent, Mister Home Depot.”

Then Derek’s brain caught up with what Stiles had said. “Alpha Beta Zeta? You mean to tell me that your frat’s cursive symbols basically amount to ABC. And you’re an academic frat?”

“Clever, huh?”

Derek just laughed.

Stiles put on what might have been a dignified scowl if it hadn’t been interrupted by his attempt to regain a grip of both wreaths at once.

“Would you like some help with that,” Derek asked. “I don’t want to be responsible for a customer throwing out their back on my watch.”

“If you’d be so kind.”

Together they managed to finagle the oversized wreaths into Stiles’ jeep. After securing them with some cord Stiles tested them and walked around to the driver’s side. “Thanks for the help.” Stiles fiddled with his keys, glancing up at him shyly.

“So, uh. If you’re not busy after your shift you might want to come and see the most disgustingly decorated frat houses on campus.” He bit his lip and twirled his keys, dropping them immediately and scrambling to pick them up. “I mean, since you did sell the wreaths to me I figured you’d want to see them in action.”

“In action?” Derek wasn’t sure what kind of actions wreaths should be capable of. Then another thought hit him. “Wait, there’s more decorations other than the wreaths?”

Stiles emphatically nodded his head, “Oh yeah. Lots!”

 _Why am I not surprised._ He agreed to the invitation -how could he not after crushing after Stiles all semester- and put the address in his phone before heading back inside the Depot.

When his shift was over Derek drove to the neighborhood where Stiles had directed him to looking all the while for a “disgustingly decorated” couple of houses. He needn't have worried about missing them. They were ridiculously bright in the night sky; Like beacons of holiday cheer.

And Stiles was right. It was disgusting.

He parked outside the one that held the two wreaths he had just sold, currently attached beneath the two topmost windows, and stood against his car appreciating the effort.

The building was three floors and every spare inch was covered with something. All eight wreaths were hung, the plain one over the door, the other five spread out over the siding on the front of the house. Every eave had multicolored lights strung up. Fake icles dangled off the gutters. Spread across the lawn were those tacky cutout reindeer; Except these reindeer were all posed with awful Christmas sweaters, some with beer cans taped to their hooves and two by the bushes looked as if they were humping. _Classy,_ he chuckled internally. There was even lightup reindeer and an inflatable santa stuck to the roof.

He turned to look at the house behind him and was just as impressed. The house across the street had six wreaths, five of them increasingly decorated and spaced out under the second story windows with one plainer one on the door. The lawn was covered in lawn gnome elves and other woodland creatures. But Stiles’ frat had certainly outdone them in the lighting and roof decor department. The rival house had tasteful white lights strung up sparingly, almost aesthetically.

No contest. The prize for most garishly decorated frat house went to Stiles’ house.

The sound of the door slamming open drew his attention away from the rival house and onto Stiles who was sauntering down the stairs looking smug.

“So, like what we’ve done with the place?”

Derek smiled and crossed his arms, leaning back onto his car. “It’s certainly enthusiastic.”

“Yeah.” Stiles grinned widely and stuck his hands in his pockets. “So what do you think of the wreaths?”

Derek looked up and squinted in critique. “You could use some work in composition. They’re kind of all over the place.”

“What do you know about composition,” Stiles asked laughingly, teasingly.

“I should know something about it. That’s what I’m going to school for.” He shuffled his feet, “Art. I mean.”

“No kidding! What’re you doing taking economics if you’re in the Art department?”

Derek rolled his eyes, “Filling a dumb requirement so I’m ‘well rounded’ when I graduate.” He paused and eyed Stiles. “What’re you going for?”

“Criminal Justice and Pre-law. Dad’s a sheriff and I want to go in sort of the same direction.”

“Whoa,” Derek was genuinely impressed. “You do not strike me as the law type.”

Stiles laughed, “It’s because of the petty decoration feud isn’t it?”

“Might have something to do with it.” They both laughed and shuffled awkwardly. Finally Stiles broke the tension.

“So uh, if you’re free in a couple days, and want to participate in the feuding between two houses, my house is hosting a holiday party. Want to come?”

Derek thought about it for a second and then responded, “Why not. Wouldn’t miss an opportunity to kill the self-esteem of a bunch of frat boys.”

Stiles punched the air and shouted, “Hell yeah,” before suddenly blushing in embarrassment and shoving his hands in his pockets again. “I mean...cool.”

Derek’s chuckle rumbled low and amused in his chest and he took a pen out of his coat pocket to write his number on Stiles’ hand. He returned his pen and opened the door to his car and before sliding into his seat he faced Stiles once more. “Call me tomorrow with the details. Can’t wait to see what other nonsense you guys happen to come up with in the mean time.”

“Is that a challenge,” Stiles retorted.

“Yeah right,” Derek said as he slid into his seat. “Like you need another challenge.” He closed the door, waved at the window and pulled off into the night.


	4. Chapter 4

_~Stiles~_

After watching Derek drive away in his camaro Stiles practically floated back into the house. He closed the door and pressed his back against the wood with a stupid grin on his face. Scott came tromping down the stairs and stopped when he saw Stiles’ face. “What’s got you so happy?”

Stiles followed him from the door to the kitchen. “I got a date for our big party.”He poured himself a cup of coffee and dove into the fridge to grab some milk. “He likes what we did to the house.”

Scott scoffed as he pulled out the fixings for a sandwich. “Right. If he’s your date I’m not surprised he likes tacky and garish.”

“Hey now! You helped with most of it! And,” he paused taking a sip of coffee, “If I’m tacky and you’re my best friend, my brother from another mother, then you sir, are also tacky and have tacky taste.” He made a “drop the mic” motion and strode off to the living room with his coffee.

“I make no excuses for myself,” Scott said spreading some peanut butter on a slice of bread. “So who is he?”

Stiles plopped onto the couch, careful not to spill the precious liquid in his mug. “The guy from my economics class, Derek. And from the Home Depot. He sold me the wreaths we put up.”

“The guy who you stare at when he thinks you’re not looking?”

“The very same.” He propped his feet on the couch, reclining into the cushions. “He’s so cute! And he’s gonna go to the party with me!” He shot Scott a grin when he joined Stiles on the couch. “He said he can’t wait to see what else we come up with.”

“Oh no you don’t! We agreed that we were done. I even tried to veto the humping reindeer!” He took a bite of his sandwich and continued. “It’s so not safe for work.”

“But Scott! If they come up with something else then we have to top it! Otherwise they win!” Scott just groaned into his sandwich and Stiles contemplated what he could do to impress his date.

_~Derek~_

The chime on his phone alerted him the next day to a text from an unrecognized number. But he smiled immediately, knowing the moment he read it who the number belonged to.

_Hey, it’s Stiles. You know from Econ and the guy who’s been buying too many wreaths? - NoRomoBro_

Derek smiled and typed out a response.

_Hey. Did the other house one up you yet? - DH_

_How could they? We have the best set up! - NoRomoBro_

_Its certainly festive and eye catching. - DH_

_You think it’s tacky too, huh? - NoRomoBro_

_Tacky has its appeal occasionally. - DH_

_Speaking of tacky, actually, I hope you have a tacky xmas sweater - NoRomoBro_

_Oh no. You can’t possibly mean for this to be an ugly sweater party? - DH_

_Got it in 1! So, still want to come? - NoRomoBro_

_Idk, I’m rethinking my options now. - DH_

_I’m hurt! Offended and hurt! - NoRomoBro_

Derek laughed as he replied, enjoying the feeling of flirting. It had been way too long.

_I suppose a gentleman keeps his obligations. - DH_

_Callin’ yourself a gentleman? - NoRomoBro_

_Until I have a reason I shouldn’t. - DH_

Stiles’ reply didn’t come for over two minutes and Derek was amused that he had apparently thrown Stiles off his game for a little bit.

_Maybe you’ll get your chance to lose the title then. Party is Saturday 8pm. Be there or be square! - NoRomoBro_

_Can’t wait. - DH_

Two days really was too long to wait.


	5. Chapter 5

Derek showed up to the Alpha Beta Zeta house just after eight wearing an incredibly ugly Christmas sweater he had found at Goodwill. It was big and bulky, like most ugly sweaters. He didn’t even know how it made it onto the rack because it was one of those joke ugly sweaters and had two humping deer plastered over the front and the rest of it was covered in that ugly border that seems to come on every ugly Christmas sweater.

He hoped Stiles would appreciate his matching the tacky lawn ornaments.

Before he could knock on the door it swung inward and Stiles was there, big grin on his face and beer can in hand, sporting a sweater with a T-rex wearing a santa hat and eating a present on it.

He broke out into a fit of giggles when he saw Derek’s sweater. “Oh my god, Derek! That is so awesome! That’s not ugly at all!”

Stiles stepped aside and motioned for Derek to come in. As he passed through the door he pointed at Stiles’ chest, “Neither is yours.”

“You’re right,” He took a swig of beer and continued, “I’d wear this year round if it wouldn’t interfere with my play on the local hotties.”

“No interfering here,” Derek said with a purposeful smile stretching his face.

Stiles’s eye went wide and his jaw dropped. He gestured to the kitchen and stammered, “Caaan I get you a drink?”

“Sure, whatchya got?”

Stiles pulled him by the hand into the kitchen where Boyd, Scott and other members of the frat were getting acquainted with the keg. Stiles introduced him and went to retrieve a beer from the fridge for Derek.

The first couple hours of the evening passed with a hum of excitement. The sister sorority to Stiles’ were there and Stiles introduced him to Scott’s girlfriend Allison, Boyd’s girlfriend Erica and Stiles’, to use a colorful phrase, heterosexual life partner Lydia Martin.

Derek twitched an eyebrow in confused amusement. “I’m sorry, your what?”

Lydia smiled broadly before answering. “Heterosexual life partner. Pretty boy here only likes pretty boys and so do I.” She mussed his hair and he batted her hand away. “But we do get along well, don’t we Stiles?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Stiles grinned and swooped in to give her a peck on the cheek. “Now would you quit embarrassing me in front of my date?”

Lydia pouted and said, “Of course. We all know how rare it is for you.” There was no malice or mocking tone in her statement, all good natured digging and Derek couldn’t help but smile.

Derek caught Stiles’ eyes and his smile was so wide it hurt his face. “Then maybe I should count myself lucky he picked me then?” He dragged his eyes away from Stiles to Lydia and took a sip of beer. “Didn’t know he was so picky. I’m flattered, really.”

The sounds of appreciative oohing erupted from the group around them and Lydia laughed. “I like this one,” She said, lips hovering about a martini glass. “Don’t lose him. We need more wit around here.”

“Excuse you, ma’am,” Stiles huffed indignantly, “I am a paragon of wit!”

“If you say so,” Lydia purred before taking Allison’s hand and sashaying her way out of the living room towards the back patio where more of the house’s guests had gathered.

Stiles turned a blushing face on him and tried to hide it behind a red solo cup.

“You know you’re adorable when you blush like that?” Derek could admit he was a little cheesy as a general state of being. But being on a date his cheese level skyrocketed, spouting ridiculously cheesy, romance movie style sayings. But he somehow doubted Stiles was adverse to it.

In fact, if it was possible, his face seemed to redden even more. He bit his lip and it was so adorable that Derek wanted to lean down and capture it between his own teeth. Then the sound of Godzilla roaring erupting from Stiles’ pants made Stiles’ eyes go wide and his jaw drop.

The change in Stiles' face was so sudden that Derek couldn’t help but laugh aloud. “That Godzilla in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?”

“Ha-ha,” Stiles mocked back as he dug in his pocket for his offending phone. “Geek,” he muttered, repressing a smile.

“Says the man with a Godzilla ringtone.”

“I’m impressed you knew it was Godzilla.” He unlocked the screen and he face broke out into a big, toothy grin. “So, remember that challenge you issued?”

Derek chuckled and took a sip from his bottle. “You mean the challenge you think I issued?”

“Semantics. Anyway, it just so happens I arrange something amazing and it’s starting in half an hour. Which means,” He said as he shoved his phone back in his pocket, “We have just enough time.”

“Time enough for what?” Derek’s eyebrow once again twitched with amusement with an added side of curiosity. “Don’t tell me I’m so special I get two surprises in one night. I don’t think my heart can take it.”

“Finish your drink then let me show you around. Give you a proper tour.” Stiles waggled his eyebrows before draining his cup.

“Bottoms up,” Derek said before upending his bottle and tossing it in the large trash can that was left in the kitchen. “Where to first?”

Stiles took his hand, “Follow me.”

Stiles led him through the first floor of the house and pointed out a big room that had initially been meant as a den of sorts. It had been converted into a library with books strewn over all the surfaces and bookshelves lining all the walls. Against one wall there was a couch and there was a spread of three bean bag chairs that just begged an onlooker to sink into their cushiony depths. Then they strode towards the back of the house where the party had spilled to the outside. It was a touch too cold to swim but Derek appreciated the large pool and outdoor bar that he was sure was a big hit with the campus.

Ducking back inside Stiles showed him the doorway to the basement and took him down. Here there was obvious renovation and the renovators had made a space that replaced the need for the Den upstairs. The finished basement was spacious and comfortable and included a very large flat screen, an impressive assortment of game systems and a ping pong table. In the corner he had spotted a washer and dryer as well.

Finally they ended up at the stairway that led to the bedrooms upstairs. Stiles gestured to the stairs, “Would you like to go up and see where Scott and I sleep?”

Derek’s stomach fluttered happily, distractingly. “Sure.”

He followed Stiles up the stairs and down the hallway until they came to the last door in the hall. Stiles paused and swallowed visably. “Well, here it is.” He swung the door open and let Derek enter the room first.

Upon first look Derek thought it was what he would have pictured for Stiles’ room, even if he did share a room. It was cluttered but looked like it had been straightened previously, no rogue clothing or dishes lying about. On the walls were posters displaying Star Trek: OS, Star Wars and various old monster movies. There were photos, too, plastered all over a corkboard that took up half a wall. Pictures of recognizable, to Derek anyways, of Stiles and Scott and a couple people from the frat he had met, pictures of Lydia and Allison and pictures of people Derek assumed were the families of Scott and Stiles. There were textbooks and papers stacked on the table and everything seemed like it belonged there.

Then Derek allowed his eyes to land on the beds. One side had a plain blue and brown, striped cover and was made neatly. The other displayed a white and orange retro Star Wars pattern with rebel alliance symbols and X-Wings all over it. He pointed to that bed and asked, “Yours?”

“Yeah. Can’t beat a classic, huh?”

“Definitely.”

Stiles tucked his hands into his back pockets and shyly closed the distance between them until they were a foot apart. “So. About that gentleman thing,” he said, the sentence hanging in the air.

“What about it?”

“I think you should know that have a strict ‘no gentlemen’ policy. Propriety and I don’t get along well.”

“That does present a problem.” He took the small step needed to bring the space between them to a couple of inches but kept his hands at his sides. He bent his head, hovering above Stiles’ lips. “Do you think we should do something about that?”

“Oh yeah,” Stiles nodded emphatically before surging forward to press his lips against Derek’s. Derek caught Stiles’ body as it crashed against his, wrapping his arms around his lithe body. Stiles licked into his lips and Derek opened for him, letting him taste.

Derek definitely was not usually a first date kisser but he couldn’t resist the mischievous way Stiles presented himself, the way his eyes lit up at ridiculous things. He had noticed things here and there from their time in a shared class and he had picked up on Stiles’ sense of humor from their brief snippets of text conversation over the last two days. He didn’t want to wait. Didn’t Stiles just tell him he didn’t want a gentleman? He would be as ungentlemanly as Stiles would allow, he decided. Then Stiles bit his lip and Derek lost the ability to think beyond their tangle of tongue, lips and limbs.

Then Godzilla struck again.

Stiles jumped in surprise then groaned in recognition and rested his forehead against Derek’s shoulder.

“You need to get that,” Derek asked.

“Unfortunately.” He fished his phone out of his pocket and pulled away, ever so slightly, so he could read his text message. Then Derek felt him suddenly vibrate with excitement before stepping back all the way from him, bouncing on his toes. “Or not! Your surprise is about to start. Come on!” Stiles grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the door.

Derek laughed and followed him out and down the stairs, nearly tripping one another in their race to get downstairs. “Careful with me, Stiles! I’m delicate,” Derek joked as he nearly face planted at the foot of the stairs.

“Yeah right,” Stiles smirked and then hollered for Scott. “Scotty! Out front! Get everyone out front!”

Hearing the commotion the other guests at the party started filing towards the front door but Stiles tugged and pushed Derek and himself through the throng to get to the door first.

“You have got to have a good spot for this.”

“Good spot for what?”

“You’ll see.”

A minute later and he and Stiles were pressed against the railing of the house’s front porch beside Scott and Allison and about twenty other people looking out across the lawn to gaze upon the Omega house.

“Stiles,” Scott whispered in Stiles’ direction. “What are we waiting for?”

“Shh,” Stiles motioned with a finger for silence. “It’s coming. Just wait.”

Then out of nowhere a van, painted with a terrible airbrush design of a sleigh and eight reindeer and speakers attached to the roof, pulled up in front of the house and then the beginning chords of “Mr. Grinch” floated from the speakers. Once the music started the van door slid open and five people dressed like the Grinch filed out and ran across the yard to snatch up every decoration.

As the song played lawn ornaments disappeared into the van, followed by the wreaths reachable from the first level and finally strings of lights, torn from the house by force. By the time the first string of lights disappeared into the van someone from the Omega house finally noticed what was happening on their lawn and came out, the door slamming open.

“Hey! You little punks!”

He chased them across the lawn but every one of them had made it back inside the van and the mysterious driver was taking off, speeding away before the door could close; taking Omega house’s display with them.

Everyone on the Alpha Beta Zeta porch was in full laughter. Derek’s cheeks and stomach hurt from the way he was laughing. He had to clutch his stomach and wipe away tears. And his condition only got worse when the man on the lawn turned towards the crowd of people and upon finding Stiles he pointed and screamed, “You little shit!”

“You mad, Whittemore,” Stiles yelled back

“You’ll be hearing from my lawyer!”

“Good luck proving it was me!”

He turned to the crowd and proclaimed, “There’s nothing to see here. Back inside, go drink our beer!” He shooed some of the people closest to him towards the house to emphasize his point.

When the porch was mostly empty Scott came up behind him and trapped him in a loose, brotherly choke hold and mussed his hair. “That was brilliant! But you might get us in trouble for that one.”

“Totally worth it.” He shrugged Scott off and then, finding Derek, Stiles asked him. “What did you think of your surprise?”

“I think that you’re absolutely nuts and I can’t believe I allowed myself to be alone in a room with you,” he said with a big grin on his face, voice full of affection. “And I’ve never laughed so hard.”

“Knew you’d like it,” Stiles beamed.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Scott broke in again. “Alone? You did not just do it!”

Stiles clutched his heart in mock pain, “Scott you wound me! I am a gentleman!”

Derek scoffed and retorted, “You said you were very anti-gentleman.”

Stiles blushed beet-red and stammered, “Uh, uh, that is…”

Derek shook his head and told Scott, “No we didn’t do it. But your poster of Bela Lugosi got an eyeful of very dirty making out.”

“Ugh, not Lugosi,” Scott complained with a smile. “Probably scarred him for life.” He tugged Allison’s hand towards the door. “We are going back inside. Don’t make me turn the hose on you two.”

After they walked through the door and shut it behind them Derek and Stiles were left alone.

Derek took Stiles’ hand in his own and rubbed a thumb over his knuckles. “So you’re a gentleman now?”

“Ignore that,” Stiles uttered, not quite looking at Derek. “Reputation to keep and all.”

“Oh, is that right?” Derek drew him close, bring their combined hands to rest against his chest and he wrapped his free arm around Stiles. “So. If we were to keep seeing each other are you always going to be this crazy?”

“Is that a challenge,” Stiles threw back, the threat of giggle behind his words.

“It just might be. What’re you going to do about it?”

“I don’t know,” Stiles said, tilting his head in mock concentration. “I’ll need time to think about it.” He lifted his head to steal a quick kiss from Derek before continuing. “Might be that you could give me some inspiration."

Derek smiled broadly and kissed Stiles deeper and thought all the while that if this was one of the perks of working at Home Depot he’d never quit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed your bit of Christmas crack/fluff!


End file.
